1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to bandages, and in particular, to bandages having a wound dressing portion which may be readily removed or changed.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
The treatment of various types of bandaged wounds often requires either periodic access to the wound for inspection and supplemental treatment or periodic changing of whatever form of dressing or covering is applied thereto. Such access or changing in the past has usually required destruction of the entire bandage, thereby requiring a completely new bandage to be applied which can be both costly and time consuming depending upon the location and size of the wound to be bandaged. This problem is particularly acute with respect to animals which often have difficult to bandage areas or which try to remove bandages and especially larger animals which require large bandages.
A prior art bandage which purports to allow limited access to the bandaged area without requiring removal of the entire bandage is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,273,873. The prior art bandage disclosed therein is formed from strips of doublesided adhesive tape which is cut into strips and placed around the wound to be dressed by pressing one side against the skin. A dressing may then be placed over the encircled area and pressed against the other side of the adhesive strips for maintaining it in that position. In the event that periodic access is desired to the wounded area, the dressing portion must then be cut open. If this is done, then the cuts must be taped closed to recover the wound. As adhesive is not normally reusable, the changing of the dressing portion of this bandage requires either that the first adhesive strips used to attach the bandage to the wounded animal or person be removed and a new bandage be applied, or that additional double-sided adhesive strips be affixed over the initial strips with the new dressing then being applied thereto. This would result in a thickening of the bandage which would not lend itself to multiple changes. Thus, this form of bandage does not allow for any savings in cost or time in the process of changing the dressing or inspecting the wound.
Another type of prior art bandage known to applicant is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,290 which discloses a device for administering medicaments through the skin by the absorption process. The device, which appears to be reusable, is adapted to be strapped around the limb of an animal to hold a medicament in close contact with the skin thereof. The absorption of the medicament usually takes place over a period of time, such as weeks or months. Although this device is easily removed and reattached, no provision is made for attaching the medicant to the frame which must completely cover the medicant to hold it over the wounded area. Moreover, because of this, this device does not readily lend itself to the coverage of large wounds which must be periodically inspected or changed. These disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention.